MowryJournal.com   Life's Passions

I use coasters. Don’t you?

I’ve seen other woodworkers make them, but they always bugged me. I think a wooden coaster should do 3 things:

1. Protect the table underneath.
2. Catch the condensation from the glass.
3. Sit there, look pretty.

Many coasters, in my estimation, fail in at least one of these goals. With that in mind, these coasters were designed somewhat differently than my traditional cutting board & serving piece offerings.

For one, the finish on these coasters is a urethane, which could be used on wooden counters or tables. It’s food grade – but not cutting board grade. It does provide more moisture protection for the wood. Because, you know, condensation.

Secondly, I’ve added another wood to these coasters that’s very soft: cork. The round cork inserts provide a soft landing pad for your glass, and the small well around them will contain a few drops of moisture as well. Because, you know, condensation.

These coasters are not small: they are 5″ square, with the cork insert being 4″ round. They are the perfect size for the large drink containers that many favor these days.

I’m offering these coasters in sets of 4, and Mrs M and I have a disagreement about that. She insists that I only sell them in matched sets, but I believe that’s a mistake. Given that I made them, I get the final vote. (For the record, she gets the final vote … on her side of the booth.) I’ll be fine with anyone that wants a matched set of 4 … but I’ll also be fine if they want 4 different wood designs in their set.

Each coaster is $10. Buy 4, and you get a bonus coaster holder. Those holders are currently made from Black Walnut or Jatoba. There are 7 sets plus 3 single coasters in this first batch. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this new product, made possible by my CNC!

Coasters 18 – 01. Purpleheart, Cherry, Bloodwood & Cork.

Coasters 18 – 02. Black Walnut, Jatoba, Padauk, Hard Maple, Morado & Cork. Shown with Black Walnut holder.

Coasters 18 – 03. Chaos Coasters. Jatoba, Cherry, Purpleheart, Black Walnut, Bloodwood, Yellowheart, Jarrah & Cork. Shown with Black Walnut holder.

Coasters 18 – 04. Cherry, Teak, Bloodwood, Morado & Cork. Shown with Jatoba holder.

Coasters 18 – 05. Jatoba, Black Walnut, Bloodwood, Cherry & Cork. Shown with Black Walnut holder.

Coasters 18 – 06. Chaos Coasters. Yellowheart, Jatoba, Bloodwood, Cherry, Hard Maple, Jatoba, Purpleheart & Cork. Shown with Black Walnut holder.

Coasters 18 – 07. Jatoba, Hard Maple, Bloodwood, Purpleheart, Yellowheart & Black Walnut. Shown with Black Walnut holder.

Coasters 18 – 08. Cherry, Purpleheart, Jatoba & Cork. Shown with Jatoba holder.